Sunday, March 16, 2008

Let me start by saying that I am going to list the little things that make my days a little bit happier. It goes without saying that my family and friends would, of course, top the list. Well, on most days they would! Now on to the small things that make my days brighter.

1. Jo. I know I said no family but could I not list her? She thinks I am the greatest thing to ever walk the earth and honestly should I even tell her otherwise? She is never more than 10 feet from my side. When I come home, whether it has been 10 minutes or 10 hours, she is beside herself that I have walked through that door. Yes, Jo, is at the top of my list.

2. The Detroit Free Press. I love this paper. I have been reading it since I was a young girl and now I read it every day on the internet. For Christmas last year Dave gave me a Sunday subscription. I don't get it until Thursday or Friday but I don't care. I read it from front to back. It is one of the things I miss the most about Michigan.

3. Google Reader. It has changed the way I keep up with my blogs. Now I can go to one place and see automatically which blogs have been updated. It has been a real time saver and now that I have my own blog to keep up with that has been a great help.

4. My Uggs. I wear them summer and winter. I wear them all day in the house and whenever I go outside. My feet love to be surrounded by sheepskin! And yes, I have two pairs, I love them that much.

5. Stacy's Bagel Chips. I love the plain ones. They do have other flavors but I have never tried them. I found perfection with the first flavor I tried so I have never explored the other possibilities. I love them so much that I now limit myself to one bag a week. In fact, I saw D munching them today and gently reminded him I only get one bag a week. The horror if I should run out before my next shopping trip.

6. Lettuce Wraps. Specifically the wraps from the Cheesecake Factory. I don't even look at the menu when I eat there. I have tried the ones at PF Changs and Chilis but they don't even compare. The last time I had them I was in Hawaii. Sadly, the closest Cheese cake Factory is an hour away so I don't get them very often.

7. My Mini Cooper. What is there not to like? It gets great gas mileage and is cute to boot. It's small and fits me just right. It's biggest drawback is it is horrible in the snow. But until we move back to Michigan that is a minor inconvience for now.

8. Coke Cherry Zero. Love, love this stuff. The biggest drawback is they don't make a caffeine-free version. But I haven't let that stop me from enjoying this as a treat now and then. I take caffeine-free diet Coke and mix in a little cherry juice. It's almost as good as the real thing.

9. Black and white photographs. There is something timeless about a black and white photo. I don't think anyone has done it better than Ansel Adams. I have been to two of his exhibits and have walked away both times inspired by his work.

10. Dark chocolate. The darker the better. In fact, I don't like milk chocolate anymore. I have it everyday and was happy to hear that there may be some health benefits to eating dark chocolate. I usually eat 85 percent but in Hawaii found some 91 percent chocolate. I was in heaven.

11. Reality TV. My most favorite is What Not to Wear. I watch it every day at noon while I eat my lunch. I never tire of seeing them over and over. I have to admit it has changed my shopping habits. I find it much harder to find clothes and happily for Dave I have found I buy far fewer clothes.

12. My ipod. I love music and this has changed the way I listen to music. I now can have it everywhere I go. I walk almost every day and my ipod is with me. When I am doing yardwork my ipod is with me. When I travel my ipod is with me. When I go to bed at night my ipod is with me. I think you get the idea. As I told D the other day, the day my ipod breaks is the day I am on Amazon ordering another one.

13. Pumpkin. Pumpkin in all forms. Pumpkin muffins, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin cookies. Imagine my delight when I found pumpkin chai in the airport one day. I just finished a half-gallon of pumpkin ice cream that I had bought last fall. It makes me sad to think I have to wait another nine months before pumpkin ice cream will be available again.

Well, there you have it, some of my favorite things. When I started I didn't think I would be able to come up with very many things but as you can see I did. In a few months I will do this again and see what new things have become my newest obsession.